By mua



(No Model.)

H. o. THOMAS.

PARAFFINE BRUSH.

Patented Sept. 2, 1884.

INVENTOR w @Zzm BY ATTORNEYS.

N. FUERS. Pnawum w. Washington.

Fries.

PATENT HENRY O. THOMAS, OF ROCK VIEiV, NEXV YORK.

PARAFFlNE-BRUSH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 304,470, datedSeptember 2, 1884.

I Application filed February 12, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY Q'THOMAS, of RockView, in the county of Oattaraugus and State of New York, have inventeda new and Improved Paraffine-Brush, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

It is well known that crude petroleum in its passage through pipesdeposits parafline'on the walls of the pipe, thereby obstructing theflow of petroleum and sometimes stopping it altogether. In very shortpipes it is a simple matter to remove the paraffine by means of rods,scrapers, &c. but in long lines of pipes it is impracticable to cleanout the paraftine by ordinary means.

The object of my invention is to provide means of clearing pal-affinefrom long lines of pipe by mechanical means without the use of solventsor heat.

My invention consists of a clearing device preferably in the form of acylinder suited to the size of the pipe to be cleaned, and provided withcutting-wires and with one or more spiral blades which are adapted to beacted on by the flowing petroleum, so as to cause the clearing device torotate and grind out any obstructions contained within the pipe.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of one of my improvedclearing devices and a portion of pipe in which it is used. Fig. 2 is atransverse section of the device and pipe.

In this example the clearing device is made in the form of a hollowcylinder, A, which may be of leather or other suitable material, towhich are suitably attached a series of wire-cutters, a, which projectradially from the exterior of the cylinder A, as shown. One or moreblades, B, preferably made of metal in spiral form, are arranged withinor otherwise suitably attached to the cylinder'A, preferably within itsinterior, as shown. The cylinder A is proportioned so that its length isabout equal to four times its diameter.

The operation is as follows: The cleaning device A is inserted in thepipe to be cleaned, and is pushed forward by the flowing petro leum orliquid, and the projecting wiresawill loosen any paraffine orobstructive matter that may slightly adhere to the walls of the pipe,which matter, when looscned, will be carried out by the current of theliquid. Should the wires come into contact with a deposit of paraffineor other matter of sufficient thickness to check the motion of thecleaning device A, or to stop it, the force of the current will then actupon the blade B and cause the device A, with its cutters a, to rotateand cut away the deposit, after which the cleaning device will be pushedforward by the current, as before described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A clearing device for petroleum and other pipes, made substantiallyas herein shown and described, consisting of a cylinder with exteriorcutters, and a blade to give rotation to the cylinder, as set forth.

2. The cylinder A, constructed with exterior cutters, a, and hollowcenter to receive a spiral blade, substantially as shown and described.

HENRY C. THOMAS.

XVitnesses:

WILLIAM H. DYE, CHARLES I SHELDON.

